After Gurnam failed to send him abroad, the family demanded that the money be returned. The agent gave them Rs 5 lakh and promised to return the balance amount as well, the police said.

When he failed to honour its promise, Hardip and his wife decided to lodge a police complaint.

On May 13, Hardip and his wife were on their way to a police station to lodge a complaint when they stopped at a shop to recharge a mobile phone.

There Gurnam's family members appeared and they allegedly started thrashing Hardip and Kulwinder.

A case has been registered against 11 persons, including Gurnam, under relevant sections of the IPC, the police said. However, the family of travel agent was absconding, the police said.

Hawaldar Kulwant Singh was among the seven security personnel who lost their lives when four terrorists sneaked in from across the border and attacked the Pathankot air base on the intervening night of January 1 and 2 last year.